);

Movie Theaters Accommodating the Disabled

 

When the average person goes to the movie theatee their only gripe is how close they can get to the screen or how comfortable the chair is.
           
Rarely do people take into account how difficult it is for a disabled, hearing-impaired, or partially blind individual to simply enjoy a movie.
           
As a result of threats and lawsuits from disabled people across the country, movie theaters are now trying to implement new services and additions to make theaters more user-friendly, according to USA Today.
           
When we really think about the structure of a movie theater it is not a good fit for a wheelchair or any disability that makes walking difficult because there are no elevators to the top of the highest seat.  How can a wheelchair get all the way to the top where the seat is?
Similar to a parking lot, many people argue there should also be seats strictly for the handicapped, just like parking spaces so that they are guaranteed a place which suits their needs.
           
New York recently approved agreements under which 140 theaters in the state will provide listening devices that are compatible with hearing aids.  Some theaters will offer captioning similar to “rear-window” systems, or narration with films, according to USA Today.  At the present time only a dozen theatres in New York have technology like this.
           
Legal bouts across the country and lawsuits have caused about 240 theaters to add this convenient technology to help include the disabled in a major sector of popular culture.
          
"Going to the movie is often a family event, and so many blind people feel shut out of that experience because they don’t want to rely on their relatives to tell them … what’s going on on the screen," said Carl Augusto, president of the New York City-based American Foundation for the Blind, in the USA Today article.

The world of technology is evolving fast and making the world an easier and more convenient place for people with all kinds of needs. Movie theater additions for the disabled will help entertainment reach more people. The future of technology is bright and will soon change the lives of many citizens.